Peştera Româneşti

Cave of Romanesti

Useful Information

Location:	Between Româneşti and Fărășești (Farasesti). E673 at Coșava turn south towards Curlea, keep left at Mănăstirea Izvorul Miron, follow DJ684B towards Pietroasa. 1.5 km after the monastery turn right into side valley, not signposted, towards Fărășești. After 1.2 km on th right side of the road, 150 m walk uphill through forest, 15 minutes. Alternative: keep right bevore monastery into Româneşti village, turn left at the graveyard and follow gravel road to the end, parking lot for the cave. Follow road for 1 km through forest, at opening turn left across meadow 300 m to the cave, 20 minutes. (45.79758188599812, 22.35020631681853)
Open:	No restrictions. [2011]
Fee:	free. [2011]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
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As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1984	beginning of annual concerts.

Description

Pestera Romanesti (Cave of Romanesti) is a famous concert location, named after the nearby town. At least once a year in October there are popular concerts held inside the cave. The speoconcerts (cave concerts) are organized since 1984 by the Asociaţia Speologică Speotimiş. The concerts are normally held by musicians which are rather famous in Romania, for example the Banatul Filarmonic Orchestra. The record with 2,000 attendees holds the local band Zdob si zdub. The acoustics is very good, but it is advisable to dress warm for the long stay in the cool cave. And by the way: the concerts are free.

The cave has three different levels and a total length of 1,450 m. The lowest level is in the area of the groundwater and has flowing water during certain times of the year. It is accessible only to speleologists. The middle and the upper level of the cave are fossil. The entrance portal is 9.5 m wide and 2 m high, oriented to the northwest. It allows daylight to enter the cave for the first 70 m.

The cave has a rather exceptional specialty, it is one of only very few karst caves in Romainia which develops in tectonic breccia. It has a permanent colony of bats. And it was excavated, the findings are now on display in the Muzeul Banatului (Museum of Banat) in Timisoara. The findings from a Neolithic settlement include ceramics of the Tisa and Cotofeni cultures, a hearth, and a granary. The palaeonthologic finding were the bones of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus).